In times of trouble, Americans help each other, often thanks in part to quality outdoor power equipment. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—While digging out after a winter snowstorm can be a lot of
hard work, the job is made easier thanks to many people who use their snow
throwers to clear not only their own driveway, but also their
neighbors’.

Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor
Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), says he hears stories every winter
about neighbors using snow throwers to help each other after storms.
“We know of a 77-year-old man in New
York named Pat Papa, for example, who uses his
Ariens snow thrower to dig out his own driveway. Then he clears seven other
driveways on his street just because that’s what good neighbors
do.”

Kiser says this spirit of giving back and helping out is part of what
knits communities together across the country. “Outdoor power equipment
is often the thread that connects neighbors and communities,” explains
Kiser.

The spirit of giving remains strong throughout the year. The effect of
outdoor power equipment to do good can be seen in the aftermath of the
blizzards of winter, the tornadoes of spring, the wildfires of summer or the
hurricanes of fall.

Nonprofit organizations such as Team
Rubicon, AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams, Baptist Disaster Relief
Teams and others train
and organize entire chain-saw crews to deploy in the aftermath of disasters,
knowing the good that fast-moving saws can do. They use their chain saws to
clear roadways of trees and trim debris into manageable
pieces—ultimately helping crews get power lines back up and running quickly.

“These do-gooders—from organized groups to individuals like
Sister Margaret Ann, who started clearing debris herself in Miami after Hurricane Irma—play a
vital role in recovery,” says Kiser. “They make it possible for
their devastated communities to get back to normal faster.”

After one of the most active hurricane seasons on record, the steady hum
of generators is also part of the post-disaster landscape. When the grid is
knocked out by strong storms, generators stay on, powering the heating and cooling
infrastructure, as well as communication systems, that communities need.
Smaller units power air-conditioning or heating systems, appliances, lights,
phones and even laptops. Larger backup generators keep emergency response
operations and hospitals up and running. And as residents and public safety
officers respond to flooding after a major storm, engine-powered water pumps
help dry out homes and businesses.

“The reality is that outdoor power equipment powers good in so many
ways,” notes Kiser. Amid all the stories of neighborly acts with
snowblowers and lawn mowers, larger community efforts also emerge. For
example, the nonprofit GreenCare and SnowCare for Troops programs arrange for
landscapers to mow lawns and clear driveways for deployed and injured
military service members and their families.

In response to Hurricane Harvey, which devastated parts of Texas,
generator manufacturers Briggs & Stratton, Generac, and Kohler ramped up
production and deployed inventory, technicians and spare parts as close as
possible to the disaster zone.

“It takes an industry with heart to power good, and we’d like
to hear more examples of how people are using the equipment our industry
makes in positive ways,” says Kiser. If you have an example of
“powering good”—ways outdoor power equipment including lawn
mowers, chain saws, generators and snow throwers help people—you can
share it using #PoweringGood on Facebook or Twitter.